SAS EuroBonus - Intra EU C-Class experience CPH-FCO

Flew CPH-FCO r/t last month - and my hosts had graciously provided C-class fare. So I was looking forward to once again trying the C-class product on one of the longer intra EU flights where time should allow for the full C-class experience.
As usual the on ground experience was very good with priority check in at CPH -fast track and scandinavian lounge- all of which I enjoy on a regular basis as SK *G. So the new experience for me would be the flight itself.

Sadly I was rather disappointed. Despite a very nice crew both ways and the reserved C class seating, which is of course similar to Y except for the spare middle seat reserved for comfort. In both directions service levels seemed to have gone down a notch from when I last tried one of the longer intra EU C-class experiences. And it was mostly the little things that seemed to have disappeared. No pre-takeoff beverage. No Hot towel being offered. C and Y class were pooled together in front of the curtain so no separation there, and the front toilet was never reserved for C (or Y) , so there was a constant traffic through the curtain by M class passengers wanting to use the front toilet. So sitting in row 1 was rather like being in a railway station - a busy one- with a line of people waiting. Also no little menu cards for the meal.

The food both ways consisted of a small appetizer (actually on the FCO-CPH it consisted of ONE single sundried tomato and an olive - now thats what I call small), followed by a reasonably sized main meal which was served hot. On the CPH-FCO stretch this was a very nice meat dish. But on the return it consisted of a very fishy smelling piece of white fish. The crew did not know which fish. No menus were available, and since it smelled very fishy I actually returned it and was graciously offered one of the Y class cardboard boxed in stead which had a nice cold piece of roast beef. In both directions there was a small piece of cheese offered and no dessert.
The wine of course is standard Y class wine selection. And really not very good.

I should perhaps mention that both flights were right smack on time - something that SK prides itself in - and which is not always easy to achieve on FCO flights (LH was 45 min late departing FCO I noticed at the adjacent gate)

In summary - a rather substandard C-class experience. Why anyone would ever pay for this themselves is beyond me. Other EU carriers do this much better. If SK chooses to keep C-class they need to get the little things back in order. Otherwise just skip it. And those of us who enjoy the C-class service can find other carriers. Or choose a cheaper fare and get what we pay for.

I like your sober report very much. I only used a C-class service intra Europe 2-3 times in my life, out of many hundreds of legs over the last ten years. When younger I was always a bit jalous looking into the front of the cabin. Nowadays, I have the same funny feeling you have -- there in front sit the loosers, or people funded by loosers (no offence - friends!), who get tricked into paying a fortune for close to nothing.

The story is, of course, completely different on long haul ...

The difference in price between economy extra and business intra-Europe is pretty small, all things considered. Considering what SAS charges for their economy extra flights I find it to be far worse deal. It's just a business light price marketed as "economy" so people don't go afoul with their company travel policy. These are the real suckers (if you pay yourself that is).

I like your sober report very much. I only used a C-class service intra Europe 2-3 times in my life, out of many hundreds of legs over the last ten years. When younger I was always a bit jalous looking into the front of the cabin. Nowadays, I have the same funny feeling you have -- there in front sit the loosers, or people funded by loosers (no offence - friends!), who get tricked into paying a fortune for close to nothing.

The story is, of course, completely different on long haul ...

When you need a flex ticket or book last minute C is often not much more expensive than Y or even cheaper. Plus a lot of people in C on short hauls are connection to long haul on one ticket.

When I did OSL-ZRH-OSL in C recently, I had the same problem with people from M using the forward lavatory. It's really irritating when you try to eat dinner to have a bunch of people hanging over your shoulder. I even had someone sit down in the seat next to me, because she didn't want to stand while waiting :rolleyes:

Food and service was generally good, though.

I have not been in European C since the late fall, so maybe it was hit by changes. And also, it has always seemed to me there was not real fixed way handling the service, you sometimes wonder if there is a detailed service manual, or it is just the crew being creative. Sometimes it is announced that the forward lav is only for C (and Y) sometimes not. The M traffic usually comes when they do not close the curtain over the aisle. Which there also seems to lack a clear instruction on. Maybe coming from the period when they had removed the curtain all together. I have only once had a pre departure drink on European C, and I guess that was because I was the only passenger in C, and the first to board. Generally with SAS it is a bit hit or miss, though I have had mote hits than misses.

Very strange they don`t use the curtains. Remember seeing this a year ago on LHR-OSL, but seated in Y it did not bother me too much. I have several times seen FAs stopping M pax from using the forward toilet, very strange that´s not consistent.

But what´s most common on SK, dividing C fom Y with curtains or velcro tags?

But what´s most common on SK, dividing C fom Y with curtains or velcro tags?

The CRJ fleet is always velcro tags. Intra Nordic where it is only between Y and M it is only velcro, though I have seen the curtains being used. I don't know if there are still metal where there is no curtain, there were quite a few doing domestic and intra Nordic runs, but when they end up on a European run you get the tags as well. I have also experienced the curtain being after Y when there was only one or two rows of Y, and then the velcro tag between C and Y. So they must also have the "Business Class in front of this row" tag around somewhere, even when there is a curtain.

I would say most common is curtains. Then the question is just, are they being closed...

But what´s most common on SK, dividing C fom Y with curtains or velcro tags?

Perhaps, because I predominanty fly CRJ9 routes, I see velcro most of the time. And about 90% of times the tags are wrongly placed. This irritates me a lot. It makes me think that the crews are simply lazy. How hard can it be to place the tags on the right row when preparing the aircraft for a new flight? Almost every second flight I now see a passenger trying to switch seats, and unconciously landing in a wrong class (which creates an unpleasent situation of the FA trying to move him/her back).

Actually the misplaced velcro tags is probably the second most irritating thing for me with SK (the first being that I have experienced way too many flight cancellations with them).

IMHO the OP described a typical C-class experience on SK. I would not pay for C-class these days (I used to use LX Business Saver /fixed fee upgrade offer/, but they raised the upgrade fee so significantly that it doesn't make sense any longer to upgrade to C with LX).

I see velcro most of the time. And about 90% of times the tags are wrongly placed. This irritates me a lot. It makes me think that the crews are simply lazy. How hard can it be to place the tags on the right row when preparing the aircraft for a new flight?

I´ve even seen the tags misplaced to the effect that economy extra was in front of business !